Courtyard Check-in: Starting with a Small World of Cultivation

On Sunday morning, Chen Yu was awakened by a series of urgent knocks on the door.

"Comrade Chen Yu! Open the door! It's the police station!" A rough male voice came from outside the door, accompanied by continuous banging.

Chen Yu instantly woke up; his Qi Refining Stage 2 cultivation level kept him alert even in his sleep. He glanced at his watch—6:40 AM, just as dawn was breaking.

"They're here." He quickly got up, dressing as he thought rapidly. The police station coming to see him so early meant either they needed his cooperation in Xu Damao's case, or someone was deliberately causing trouble. Judging from what Yan Bugui had said yesterday, the latter was more likely.

Upon opening the door, two police officers in white uniforms stood outside. The one in the lead was a tall man in his thirties with a square face, wide mouth, and sharp eyes; behind him was a younger man holding a notebook.

"Comrade Chen Yu?" The tall police officer showed his badge. "I am Wang Jianjun from the Dongcheng Branch, and this is Xiao Li. There are some things I need to ask you."

"Hello, Comrade Wang. Hello, Comrade Li." Chen Yu said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Please come in. The room is simple, please don't mind."

After entering the room, Wang Jianjun quickly scanned it, his gaze lingering for a moment on the bookshelf in the corner—which, besides the technical manuals issued by the factory, also contained several classic Chinese medicine texts and agricultural technology books. Young policeman Xiao Li, meanwhile, took out his notebook to take notes.

"Comrade Chen Yu, we received a tip that you are involved in a cultural relic smuggling case," Wang Jianjun said bluntly. "The informant claims that you have been frequently traveling to Tianjin recently and have been in contact with local cultural relic dealers."

As expected, they've arrived. Chen Yu sneered inwardly, but feigned perfectly measured surprise: "Smuggling cultural relics? Comrade Wang, what makes you say that? My trip to Tianjin was arranged by the factory to investigate waste disposal technology. Here's the letter of introduction and the investigation report."

He took out the documents he had prepared beforehand from the drawer. The letter of introduction was from the steel rolling mill, and the inspection report was something he had compiled after returning, with Section Chief Li's signature on it.

Wang Jianjun took the document and examined it carefully, his brow furrowing slightly. The document was complete and there were no flaws.

"How do you explain that someone saw you in contact with suspicious individuals in the old city of Tianjin?"

"Suspicious person?" Chen Yu feigned doubt. "I only met Mr. Fucha in Tianjin—he's a retired teacher, and I'd like to ask him some questions about ancient book restoration. Comrade Wang, my parents were martyrs and collected some old books before they died. I'd like to restore them and keep them as a memento. That shouldn't be illegal, right?"

This statement was partly true and partly false. The elderly Fucha was indeed a retired teacher and did indeed understand ancient book restoration—information Chen Yu had researched beforehand.

Wang Jianjun stared at Chen Yu for a few seconds, then suddenly changed the subject: "I heard you've struck it rich recently? Bought a Shanghai watch, and you're eating meat all the time?"

Chen Yu understood perfectly. They were investigating his source of income, trying to find flaws in the details of his life.

"Comrade Wang, all of these have legitimate sources." He calmly took out a small wooden box from under the bed. Inside were neatly arranged account books and receipts. "In my spare time, I collect and prepare medicinal herbs, and sell them to pharmacies and those who need them. All income and expenditure are recorded and can be verified."

The ledger was made with the help of a fake person, and it meticulously recorded every income and expense from herb gathering over the past few months, even specifying who each item was sold to. The receipts were also genuine—Chen Yu did sell herbs, but the actual income was much higher than what was recorded in the ledger.

Wang Jianjun flipped through the ledgers and examined the receipts, his brow furrowing deeper and deeper. The accounts were clear, logically sound, and he couldn't find any problems.

"Someone also reported you for reselling old items, especially pocket watches," Wang Jianjun finally dropped his trump card.

Chen Yu's heart skipped a beat, but his expression remained unchanged: "Pocket watch? I only have one Shanghai watch, which I bought with money I saved up after I started working. As for old objects..." He smiled wryly and pointed to the room, "Look at my room, does it look like someone who has spare money to collect old objects?"

That makes sense. Chen Yu's room was indeed simple; aside from essential daily necessities, there was almost nothing of value. The three spirit-patterned pocket watches were hidden in his small world, impossible to find outside.

Wang Jianjun remained silent for a long time before finally putting away his notebook: "Comrade Chen Yu, we understand the situation. It's possible someone made a malicious report, but an investigation is necessary. We hope you can understand."

"I understand that cooperating with the investigation is every citizen's duty," Chen Yu said sincerely. "Comrade Wang, could you please tell me who reported it? I'd like to know if there's been any misunderstanding."

"I can't disclose that," Wang Jianjun stood up. "But I can tell you that the whistleblower materials were sent from Tianjin."

Tianjin! It really was either Black Third Master or Boss Li who did it!

After seeing the two police officers off, Chen Yu closed the door, his face darkening. The other side had begun using official means to exert pressure, indicating they were becoming increasingly desperate. With only seventeen days left until the Double Ninth Festival, the conflict was escalating.

"System, check-in for today." Chen Yu needs more trump cards.

[Ding! Japanese visa successfully obtained]

[Received: 5 jin of grain coupons, 2 soap coupons, a small basic legal knowledge and skills experience pack, and 7 yuan in cash]

Legal knowledge? Chen Yu immediately put it to use. Basic legal provisions, citizens' rights and obligations, and precautions for dealing with investigations flooded his mind. This skill couldn't have come at a better time!

At 7:30, Chen Yu went out as usual. It was Sunday, and he had arranged to meet Liu Yuhua to see the courtyard near Beixinqiao. The police investigation hadn't affected his plans—it was precisely at times like these that he needed to appear normal.

While buying breakfast at the alley entrance, he saw Xu Damao sneaking back from outside, his eyes heavily puffed out, clearly having not slept all night. Their eyes met, and Xu Damao immediately lowered his head and hurried into the courtyard.

"Feeling guilty," Chen Yu sneered. Xu Damao was definitely involved in the report, but he didn't expect the police station to finish the investigation so quickly.

At eight o'clock sharp, Liu Yuhua appeared at the entrance of the courtyard house. Today she was wearing a light gray Lenin suit, her hair was neatly combed, and she looked capable and energetic.

"Chen Yu, good morning! I heard about what happened at the police station. Are you alright?" she asked with concern.

"It's nothing, just a routine check." Chen Yu pushed his bicycle. "Sister Liu is really well-informed."

"My classmate works in the factory's security department. He called me this morning to tell me. He said the report contains a lot of details, like it was written by someone who knows you well. You need to be careful of the people around you."

Chen Yu nodded. He knew Liu Yuhua was referring to the people in the courtyard—the only people who could know the details of his buying the watch, eating meat, and going to Tianjin were the people in the courtyard. Xu Damao, the Jia family, or even Yan Bugui were all possibilities.

The two rode their bicycles to Beixinqiao. The courtyard was in a quiet alley, with blue bricks and gray tiles, and the gatehouse, though old, was well-preserved. The homeowner was an elderly woman in her sixties surnamed Wu. Her son was in Hong Kong and she was eager to go there to reunite with him, so she wanted to rent out the house as soon as possible.

"Grandma Wu, this is my colleague Chen Yu. He wants to rent your house for his wedding," Liu Yuhua introduced.

Grandma Wu looked Chen Yu up and down, then at the bicycle he was pushing and the watch on his wrist, and nodded: "The young man looks energetic. Take a look at the house, there are two main rooms, one side room, a kitchen, and a well in the yard."

The courtyard wasn't large, but it was very tidy. The main house faced south, receiving plenty of sunlight; the side rooms could be used as storage rooms; and although the kitchen was simple, it had a complete stove. What pleased Chen Yu most was the old locust tree in the courtyard, with a stone table and benches under it, providing shade in the summer.

"Grandma Wu, how much is the rent?" Chen Yu asked.

"The monthly rent is eight yuan, with a deposit of one month's rent and three months' rent paid upfront. But I have one condition—" Mrs. Wu said, "I have some old furniture in this house, all passed down from my ancestors. You have to take good care of it for me and not damage it. I'll need it when I come back from Hong Kong."

Chen Yu looked at the furniture in the room: a carved bed, a dressing table, and two large wardrobes, all made of old mahogany. Although they were old, the quality was very good.

"No problem, we will use it carefully."

"Alright, let's sign the contract." Old Mrs. Wu readily agreed. "But I'm leaving next Wednesday, so you'll have to move in as soon as possible."

After signing the contract and paying the deposit and three months' rent, Chen Yu received the keys. From that moment on, he had his own home in Beijing.

"Congratulations, Chen Yu!" Liu Yuhua said with a smile, "Now the biggest problem with the marriage is solved."

"Thanks to Sister Liu's help," Chen Yu said sincerely. "You must come to the wedding banquet on the day of the wedding."

"Absolutely!"

After leaving Beixinqiao, Chen Yu didn't go straight back to the courtyard house. He went to a department store and bought a few things: a pair of red double happiness enamel basins, two new quilt covers, and a simple set of kitchen utensils. Although the wedding was simple, the necessary preparations still needed to be made.

When I returned to the courtyard at noon, the scene was completely different. At the Jia family's gate, Zhang Xiulan was hanging clothes to dry, while Jia Zhangshi sat on the threshold cracking melon seeds; neither of them spoke to the other. Xu Damao's gate was tightly shut; Lou Xiao'e had officially moved out yesterday.

"Xiaoyu's back?" Zhang Xiulan saw him, put down the clothes she was holding, and asked, "The police came this morning? Are you alright?"

"It's nothing, Aunt Zhang." Chen Yu stopped his bicycle. "I just wanted to tell you something—I've rented a place in Beixinqiao. I'm moving in next Wednesday."

"Really? That's wonderful!" Zhang Xiulan exclaimed happily. "What's the house like? How big is it?"

Chen Yu gave a brief description, and Zhang Xiulan nodded repeatedly: "Not bad, not bad. Huai Ru will have a decent home when she comes over."

Jia Zhangshi scoffed from the side, "It's just renting a shabby house, what's there to brag about?"

Zhang Xiulan immediately retorted, "It's still better than some people who live in public housing and yet complain about everything!"

Seeing that the two were about to argue again, Chen Yu quickly smoothed things over: "Aunt Zhang, I'm going to Qin Family Village this afternoon to tell Huai Ru the good news. Is there anything you need to bring back?"

"No need, no need, you go ahead." Zhang Xiulan glared at Jia Zhangshi, then turned and went back into the house.

Chen Yu shook his head. It seemed that the conflict between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law in the Jia family wouldn't be resolved anytime soon.

At 1 p.m., Chen Yu rode his bicycle to Qinjiacun again. This time he felt much more relaxed—the housing issue was resolved, the rural-to-urban household registration quota was approved, and the biggest obstacle to his marriage had been cleared.

In Qin Family Village, Qin Huairu's family was overjoyed to hear the news that they had rented a house. Qin's mother held Chen Yu's hand, saying, "Little Chen, you're really capable! Now we can rest easy!"

"Don't worry, Auntie, I'll definitely treat Huai Ru well." Chen Yu said, taking out the key to the new house from his bag. "Huai Ru, this is our house key."

Qin Huairu took the keys, her eyes reddening: "Chen Yu...I..."

"Silly girl, why are you crying?" Qin's mother patted her daughter with a smile. "This is a happy occasion! Xiao Chen, is there anything missing for the wedding? Although our Qin family is not wealthy, we will certainly not skimp on anything that needs to be prepared."

"Auntie, everything's almost ready. I'm moving next Wednesday, and we'll get our marriage certificate this weekend, followed by the wedding." Chen Yu explained the plan. "I'd like to have six tables for the banquet: three for my factory colleagues, one for my neighbors in the courtyard, and two for our two families' relatives. Is that alright?"

"Alright! Excellent!" Qin's father approved. "The Qin family will cover half the cost of the banquet!"

"Uncle, no need..."

"Absolutely!" Mr. Qin's attitude was firm. "We can't let people gossip about my Qin family's daughter's marriage!"

After discussing the details, Chen Yu took Qin Huairu to see the new house. Although it was still empty, the two of them felt a sense of peace standing in the yard, looking at the old locust tree.

"Huai Ru, this will be our home from now on." Chen Yu held her hand. "After the wedding, I'll have someone repaint the house and add some furniture."

"No need to spend too much, simple is fine," Qin Huairu said softly. "Chen Yu, as long as I can be with you, I'm willing to live anywhere."

Chen Yu felt a warmth in his heart and pulled her into his arms. In this unfamiliar era, having a girl who treated him so sincerely was the greatest fortune.

But he also knew that this happiness needed to be protected. The crisis on the Double Ninth Festival, the enemy lurking in the shadows, the unknown dangers... all hung like swords over his head.

"Huai Ru," Chen Yu released her and said seriously, "After I move next Wednesday, you can move in with me. The courtyard house area... isn't safe."

Qin Huairu looked at the worry in his eyes and nodded: "I'll listen to you. But you have to promise me that no matter what happens, you'll stay safe and sound."

I promise you.

The two stayed in their new house until evening. Chen Yu helped Qin Huairu tidy up a room and bought some rice, flour, and cooking oil for the kitchen. Although they weren't officially married yet, the early setup created a warm and cozy feeling of settling in.

On his way back to the courtyard house, Chen Yu's spiritual sense detected someone following him. He remained calm and continued riding, then suddenly accelerated at a bend, shaking off his pursuer.

"Looks like they're in a hurry." Chen Yu's eyes turned cold. There were still seventeen days until the Double Ninth Festival, and their actions were becoming increasingly frequent.

It was already dark when Chen Yu returned to the courtyard house. As soon as he entered the front yard, he saw He Yuzhu pacing anxiously at his door.

"Xiao Chen! You're finally back!" He Yuzhu grabbed him, "Something's happened!"

"What's wrong, Brother Zhu?"

"Xu Damao...Xu Damao got beaten up this afternoon!" He Yuzhu whispered. "Right at the alley entrance, he was beaten up by several people with Tianjin accents. His face is bruised and swollen, and he's in bed now!"

A thought struck Chen Yu: "Why did you hit him?"

"I heard it was because of a dispute over the division of the spoils," He Yuzhu said. "Wasn't Xu Damao involved in the illegal trade of cultural relics? Those people from Tianjin said he embezzled the money that should have been theirs. But I don't think something's right—the leader of the group that beat people up was a dark-skinned man with a scar on his left eyebrow."

"Black Third Master's men!" Chen Yu understood. This was Black Third Master trying to warn Xu Damao, or perhaps trying to force him to show himself through Xu Damao.

"Does the police station know?"

"I know, I was here. But Xu Damao said he fell on his own and refused to identify anyone." He Yuzhu shook his head. "Xiao Chen, I think this has something to do with you. When those people were beating Xu Damao, they kept asking, 'Where is Chen Yu?' 'Where is the pocket watch?'..."

Sure enough. Chen Yu took a deep breath: "Brother Zhu, thank you for telling me all this. Be careful lately, those people might come again."

"I'm not afraid!" He Yuzhu puffed out his chest. "If they dare to come, I'll deal with them! But you, Xiao Chen, you're getting married next month, so please don't let anything happen to you."

Back inside, Chen Yu immediately contacted Fake Man Number One: "Find out who beat up Xu Damao today, and where they are now."

"Yes, Master. Also, Zhao Tieying sent word that Boss Li's men went to Fragrant Hills today and buried more things at the entrance to the back mountain, possibly explosives."

Explosives! Chen Yu's heart skipped a beat. Boss Li was going to kill him!

"Continue to monitor, but don't alert them. Find out the exact location where they planted the explosives and how they detonated them."

"clear."

After the imposter withdrew, Chen Yu entered the small world. He needed to calmly think and formulate a strategy.

Three spirit-patterned pocket watches lay side by side beside the spirit spring, emitting a faint glow. On the night of the Double Ninth Festival, the three watches merged, and the secret vault opened... What should have been a fortuitous encounter had now become a test of life and death.

Did Boss Li plant explosives to kill everyone after the secret vault is opened, so he could monopolize the inheritance? Or did he want to blow up the entrance? Either way, it's extremely dangerous.

The Black Third Master's men are active in Beijing. Beating Xu Damao was a warning; the next step might be to directly target him.

On his side, although Zhao Tieying had his fellow disciples to support him, the enemy outnumbered him and a direct confrontation was not the way to go.

"I need to come up with a plan..." Chen Yu muttered to himself. He recalled a simple array formation recorded in "Basic Introduction to Weapon Refining"—the "Mist Array." Although it was just a basic illusion array, with the materials from his small world, he might be able to create a simplified version.

Without further ado, Chen Yu took out the warning bell and fog bombs he had made earlier, and also collected several hallucinogenic herbs from the small world. At 1.2 times the time flow rate, he began to try to create a simplified version of the fog array.

The principle is simple: using three ancient pine trees as the focal points, and surrounding them with fog bombs and hallucinogenic herbs, combined with the warning function of the copper bell, creates an area that can interfere with vision and confuse direction. Although it cannot trap a true master, it is enough to buy time.

After working for three hours (two and a half hours outside), Chen Yu finally produced three sets of simple array bases. Each set included a specially made copper bell, three enhanced fog bullets, and a packet of hallucinogenic herbal powder.

"Setting up a setup around the entrance will buy us at least fifteen minutes," Chen Yu estimated.

It was late at night when he exited the small world. Chen Yu didn't sleep; instead, he began his cultivation for the night. The *Tai Xuan Zhen Jing* circulated, and spiritual energy surged through his meridians. The bottleneck of the second level of Qi Refining had loosened, and he felt he wasn't far from breaking through to the third level.

"If we can break through, the chances will be much better."

Outside the window, the moonlight was like water. The courtyard was quiet, but Chen Yu knew that this tranquility would not last long.

Seventeen days later, on the night of the Double Ninth Festival, when the moon is full, everything will be revealed.

He, however, had to be fully prepared.

This battle is not only about inheritance, but also about the life he has painstakingly built up in this era.

Chen Yu opened his eyes, a resolute glint in them.

No matter how treacherous the road ahead, he will overcome it.

For myself, and for Qin Huairu.

For this new life that has just begun.